Fade to Black
by Kyoshi7989
Summary: AU. Kataang. In a world where Ozai and his minions have taken over, a young girl discovers a group of rebels striving to do the impossible...only to find that it's more complicated then she thinks. INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1: Ticket to Freedom

**Title:** Fade to Black

**Paring(s):** Eventual Kataang, Tokka, Maiko hints

**Rating:** PG-13 for language, innuendo, and violence in later chapters

**Summary: **AU. In a world where Ozai and his minions have taken over, a young girl discovers a group of rebels striving to do the impossible…only to find that it's far more complicated than she thinks.

So...I have started yet another Avatar AU fanfic. Hopefully I'll update more regularly than I did last time, lol. I want to apologize for any OOCness, but do remember that the characters here will just have a darker personality in general, given the chaos and war wracked world the grew up in, coupled with the fact that the characters were introduced out of order (ie, Toph is closer to Aang than Katara because she's known him for much longer). There's not much action in this chapter, but after all, I'm only warming up... ;D

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Chapter 1: Ticket to Freedom

She remembered the fire that spiraled up towards the feeling, and smoke hanging in the air like a thick blanket.

She remembered the sacrifice made (_"Katara, go!"_) and the push that sent her stumbling out into a dark alleyway clear of the smolder, and then hearing the sounds of fighting and taunts from insides the flaming apartment building.

She remembered the walls sliding apart and crumbling; catching a glimpse of dark brown hair sprouting from a crushed skull and still body.

She remembered running.

And running.

And running.

She remembers tripping, falling—

She remembers his face, looming above her.

_"Hey, Toph, get over here! We found one."_

And then, all she remembers is the black.

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"So, where d'you think this one came from?"

"Jeez, Twinkle Toes, how should I know?"

"Well, you're best at these things."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. She was in a fire, that's for sure. She's lucky to have survived."

"Wonder what her family did to get targeted?"

"There was a group of revolutionaries somewhere in this damn place, I know...mightta been related to that one guy, one of the first rebels—Kuruk, was it?"

"Yeah, I think—hey, look, Toph!—she'd waking up!"

Katara's slowly blinked, eyelids heavy, at the voices coming at her from above. It felt as if she was underwater, like there was a film of liquid separating her from the rest of the world. Dimly, she realized that there were bandages wrapped around sore spots on her arms and legs; even around the top of her head. _I wonder_, Katara though, _I wonder where Sokka and dad_—

She blanched, scrambling up from the ground, then gasping at the pain in her appendages and sinking back down onto the faded green cot once more.

"There, there," a new voice soothed as she closed her eyes in order to stop the world's spinning around her. "It's alright, everything's all right…"

Katara's world faded into unconsciousness one more.

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The next time Katara awoke, she fought to stay conscience, somehow fearing that if she sunk into sleep once more, she would never wake up. Forcing her eyes open, she immediately flinched and sunk her head back in the tautly stretched cloth at the shock of seeing a pair of dark grey eyes return her stare.

The head looming over her immediately snapped back, and Katara slowly lifted her head to see a boy perhaps a few years younger than her rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Glancing around the area, she saw that she had been placed in a square, cement room, dimly lit by a few lightbulbs swinging overhead. Katara directed her gaze back to the young boy standing before her, a mop of black hair sprouting from his head.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, hesitantly sitting down on the edge of her cot, "I didn't know you were awake." Clearing his throat, he glanced at her, than back at a raven-haired girl impatiently tapping her foot and rolling her eyes as if to say 'go on, go on, you big baby.' "I'm Aang," he began. "And this is Toph," Aang added, almost as an afterthought. "We're the ones that found you. So…who're you?" Cringing, he amended hastily, "That is to say, what is your name?—well, where are you from? — what I mean is—" Aang sighed. "Let's start with the basics. Do you have any idea why Ozai targeted your family?"

"My father and brother were working against Ozai, holding secret meetings to organize a rebellion," Katara said, surprised by how strong her voice sounded. "We lived in South District, in an apartment building with a bunch of other rebels. And my name—my name is Katara."

Aang nodded cheerfully. "Nice to meet you, Katara." He hesitated, smile shrinking down to nothing. "What happened to you're father and brother?" he asked carefully, eyeing her warily as though he was afraid she'd snap at the very question.

"My father—" for the first time, Katara faltered. Swallowing, she forced herself to go on: "My father is dead." Aang and Toph exchanged glances. "I don't know if my brother, Sokka, is alive…or not…" she trailed off, sobered by the very plausible notion that she might be alone in the world.

Toph's brow furrowed. "Do you know if he would have been an adequate source of information?"

Katara's head jerked up, and she stared at the dark-haired girl, eyes wide. Suddenly, something clicked. "If you bastards are suggesting," she snarled, hands clenching into fists and her eyes glowing with rage, "That Sokka would ever, _ever_—"

"No, no," Aang interrupted, looking horrified. "We'd never do that, Katara! I swear to you, Toph didn't mean it like that. It's just that sometimes, if they're not too dangerous to keep alive, Ozai will imprison revolutionaries like your brother and try to…you know…get information out of them."

"You mean—torture them," Katara uttered faintly, nauseous seizing her stomach.

Aang frowned. "Well—yes. Sometimes." For a moment, he looked incredibly, monstrously sad, as if remembering something the depths of which she could only imagine. His facial expression arranged itself carefully neutral once more as he continued, "If he was captured and put into a holding facility, then it's completely possible that he's alive. We were planning to do a prison raid in a few days anyway, so as I said, you might still get your brother back, Katara."

"Might," she repeated, voice tinged with disbelief. Katara shook her head slowly. Then, noticing Toph and Aang's pitying gaze on her, she was filled with a sudden fire to prove she wasn't weak; to prove she could do _something_. "Wait," Katara's mouth fell open in a comical expression of surprise and her head spun as she realized, "_Prison raid_?" If it was one thing Katara knew, it was that standing up to Ozai and actually making a difference—let alone _freeing prisoners_—took power. Lots and lots of power.

And, as they say, power corrupts.

She swallowed, eyes shifting back and forth to rest on to her rescuer's expression, once again mirror reflections of the other's. They only spoke of one shared sentiment: _Well, it had to come sooner of later. _Strangely, this only scared her more than she had been preciously. "Who—who the hell _are_ you guys?" Katara forced out, voice shaking.

Obviously, they weren't working for Ozai (well…maybe not so obviously. Could this whole thing have been arranged?), but that didn't necessarily mean they were working _against_ him. There were plenty of dangerous people out there that called themselves heroes but only ended up raping…and stealing…and murdering…

Katara scrambled back, scooting back against the wall alongside the folding bed and prepared to break for it.

"Relax," Aang ordered hurriedly, tone oddly soothing, even to her terrified ears. "We're…" he paused, obviously considering how to phrase his explanation. "We're a group of rebels, you see. To be honest, Toph and I are only the tip of the iceberg. We have more power than everyone thinks…and pretty soon the day will come when we bring Ozai down."

Katara stared at him. "Bring Ozai down? You're—you're—" she searched for the proper adjective. "You're insane!" she finally settled with. "I used to—I still do—have hope, but if the only people left to make a last stand are a couple of kids younger than I am, then, frankly, we're screwed."

Toph scowled. "Listen here, Sugar Queen," she snapped, glaring, "We're not just a few kids out to do the impossible, and you know it. You think that it's just me and Twinkle Toes running the show?" She thrust her face rudely into Katara's, smirking when the latter flinched at the intrusion. "We've got people. We've got ammo. We've got power. And we've got the guts to use it."

Katara ran her eyes over Aang and Toph carefully. From what she had seen so far, they were dead serious. But to bring down Ozai? Since he had taken over, chaos and poverty had ruled. Anyone who dared speak of rebellion—or worse, put those thoughts into action—was swiftly and mercilessly dealt with, either put into a holding facility or killed. Katara had always wanted to believe that someone would come and save the day…and with the rumors of a new and powerful revolutionary on the rise, that hope seemed to be more and more possible.

She wanted to help, truly she did. But how could Katara allow a pair of children take on the deadliest man in the world without at least telling them what they were getting into? "Listen, guys," she began kindly, "I understand you want to help. But maybe you could just—"

"Will you stop treating us like a couple of dumbstruck kids!" Toph burst out, hands clenched. "Don't you get it? This—the guy right next to me, Aang—the guy you've been talking down to—is the Avatar! The person you've been hearing about—releasing all the prisoners out at sea in one night—the one they say is gonna be the world's savior—he's _here_! And you know what? Those people that say we're gonna take down Ozai are damn right, because we _are_ going to get rid of that lying bastard, and we don't need skeptics like _you_ to help us do it!"

Katara's head spun. This boy, the great Avatar everyone spoke of? A mere child, younger even than her? Looking to the black haired boy, unusually solemn, she decided—perhaps on instinct alone—to believe them. They couldn't gain anything by lying, could they? And Toph and Aang certainly didn't _seem_ like the type to work for Ozai…

"Well? Are you going to answer, or are you too caught up in your own self pity?" Toph demanded, still fuming.

Katara sunk farther into the cot, taken aback. "I—I'm sorry," she stammered. "I—I should have—" she faltered, trying and failing to swallow the lump now occupying her throat. "I'm sorry," Katara said again, now close to tears, "It's just—ever since my mother died—and now this—it's just hard to, to—" at last she forced her eyes shut against the tears fighting to be release. "I'm sorry," Katara repeated at last, feeling lower than low and voice barely a whisper.

To her surprise, Toph looked slightly ashamed at producing such a reaction from her. "Look, Sugar Queen," she muttered, bowing her head so her hair fell across her face, "I didn't mean to make you upset. Look, we all have our doubts, okay? We're just trying to pull through."

"That's alright," Katara managed, spirits heightening at Toph's apology, however insignificant. "I was pushing it too far. I really shouldn't have been so cynical about the whole thing."

Aang, whom she only now realized had been silent the entire time, gave her a nod. It was strange accepting approval from a boy younger than her—and, somehow, Katara had expected Toph to be the one to finally decide whether or not to accept her apology—but it only seemed to make sense, as he was some sort of famous rebel.

"I guess we'll leave you alone now," Aang shot her a brief smile. "We don't have much to do around Headquarters, aside from planning the revolt. Although," he mused, "It really is pretty fun to deal with new recruits…the ones that come here on purpose, you know—not just off the streets—act a lot like lovesick puppies," Aang explained at Katara's confused expression. "I hate dealing with…" he hesitated. "The stragglers. The…the unlucky ones."

"Yeah, Twinkle Toes is just one big softy," Toph said, punching his shoulder fondly. "But he has to go do target practice now and, you know, deal with his fans."

Just as Toph vanished out the door, leaving only Aang exiting the threshold of the room, Katara called out on impulse, "Wait! You said something about Headquarters. Where exactly am I?"

"Underneath the city," Aang replied immediately. "It used to be some sort of safe haven built in case of a bombing. Everyone forgot about it after a while, I guess…and now it's our main base for the 'Bring Ozai Down' campaign."

"What if he finds out about it?" Katara dared to ask, meeting Aang's eyes and thinking of him as a true, god to honest equal for the first time.

His lips quirked in a grim smile. "Then it certainly can't be could, can it?"

Then Aang was gone, leaving Katara alone to ponder what she had learned, until, at last, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"So...have you made your decision?" 

Katara's gaze settled on Aang's curious face as he spoke, absently running her fingers through her hair. She knew what he was speaking of--it had already been four days since her first encounter with Toph and Aang, the latter continuously making hints that she must either join their cause, or leave as soon as she was able. During the time that had lapsed, Katara had thought...and thought...and thought some more.

Finally, she had come to a decision. The choice she made today would effect her for the rest of her life.

Katara's eyes bore into his. "Yes."

Relief flooded his face, and she wondered, troubled, if he had become somehow attached to her these past few days. Brushing away the thought, Katara asked inquisitively, "Do I finally get to see the rest of this place, then?"

Aang merely nodded, beckoning toward the door.

With a tentative glance at her savior, Katara took the first few steps into the unknown.

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	2. Chapter 2: The Show Must Go On

**Title:** Last Stand

**Paring(s):** Kataang, Tokka in later chapters, Maiko hints

**Summary: **AU. In a world where Ozai and his minions have taken over, a young girl discovers a group of travelers striving to do the impossible…only to find that it's far more complicated than she thinks.

YAY! Chapter 2 is up...I sorta improvised with Jin, since we don't know much about her character, but hopefully it's not too OOC. The serious/angrier sides of Toph and Aang are shown in this chapter, but if you think something's amiss with the way they act, please tell me. Aang may act different around the two, but remember that the relationships he shares with them are different in their own right.

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**Chapter 2: The Show Must Go On**

"This is your headquarters?" Katara uttered faintly, eyes wide open as she gazed around the vast room. It was hard to believe that they _were_ underground—there were bright light shafts on the ceiling, and it was nowhere near as damp and cold as she would have imagined. Aside from Aang and herself, the room was occupied with row after row of small single beds, some occupied by sleeping forms and decorated with colorful quilts. In one corner of the room there was a large—if beat up—refrigerator, alongside a coffee machine and makeshift table.

"Some of it," Aang replied, the corner of his lip twitching in suppressed amusement. "This is just where everyone sleeps and takes their breaks. Most of our time is spent patrolling, recruiting, training, and planning."

Katara glanced at him, still amazed. "Patrolling?"

"We do regular patrols around the city," Aang explained, walking forward and gesturing for Katara to follow. "It's really only near our turf—above ground, that is—but it's really great for picking up recruits that lost their way."

"Isn't it…" she hesitated for fear of sounding cowardly. "Isn't it dangerous?"

Aang looked sad. "Sometimes. Every so often, they run into some of Ozai's thugs beating people up—or worse. They usually don't come back in good shape from those. Sometimes…" Aang's voice dropped to a whisper, but his eyes glittered with rage. "Sometimes they don't come back at all." His hands clenched. "That's why we _have_ to bring Ozai down, to stop all of the people getting killed and thrown onto the streets and enslaved and…and…" Aang took a shuddering breath.

To Katara's surprise, when he glanced at her again, he seemed apologetic. "Sorry. I get overexcited sometimes. Hope I didn't, you know, scare you."

Katara shook her head fervently. "Of course not, Aang!" To her embarrassment, she felt a slight blush come to her cheeks. "I just think it's really brave that you want to help the people of the city so badly." She ducked her head. "I was just thinking that it must be really hard living like this, never knowing if Ozai is going to come today or tomorrow or—" Katara cut herself off, mortified. "Sorry. Sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"No," Aang interrupted solemnly, "That's exactly right, Katara. Sometimes, it is hard. The thing is…" he stopped abruptly in his tracks, turning to look at her. "No one's ever said that to me before, that's all."

Unable to find adequate words to reply, Katara merely nodded and followed Aang as he continued walking once more and came to a halt in front of yet another door.

This time, however, he stared directly into her eyes, as serious as she'd ever seen him. "Katara, once you go through this door, you won't be able to leave, even if you want to. Beyond this point lies valuable information, our most prized fighters, and a multitude of things that could spell the end for this whole organization. You have to give your word that, on pain of death; you will never, _ever_ reveal anything inside these next few rooms."

Katara felt a lump grow in her throat. Could she do that? Withstand even the fiercest torture in order to preserve the hope of Ozai's defeat? It seemed like so much to ask, but so little compared to what Aang had done. Fortifying herself with courage and praying that she could be strong enough if and when the time came; Katara replied quietly but firmly, "I give you my word."

Aang's eye ran over her, gauging the truthfulness in her words. Katara met his gaze head on, trying to convey the message in her eyes: _I will never betray you, Aang. Never._ Almost subconsciously, she shivered, despite her resolution, in the face of his searching gaze. What would it be like, Katara wondered, to be at the other end of it? She could only imagine, seeing what she had so far of Aang's reaction to Ozai's cruelty, how he'd react when challenged with the man himself. How terrifying, to see one normally so calm filled with a rage and resolve greater than anything she'd ever seen…

Aang turned away, obviously satisfied, and Katara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Where had all that come from? Surely she couldn't have developed _that_ much of an impression of Aang since she'd met him?

She refocused herself on Aang as he slowly, tantalizingly, began to open the door. He shot her a grin, and Katara quickly realized with a flare of indignation that he was drawing it out on purpose.

"Here, let _me_ do it," she said, exasperated. Reaching for the door, Katara through it open…and simply stared.

If the _last_ room had left her with few words to describe it, than this, well, this went _beyond_ shocking! It was incredible! Amazing! _Impossible_!

For right before Katara's eyes lay an enormous, _monstrous_ room. It must have been at least half a mile high, and spanning at _least_ a mile in length and width. It would have been a massive feat for anyone above ground to build such an unfeasibly large room, and to top it all off she saw even _more_ doors lining the walls! Even when realizing just how much power Aang wielded, she couldn't have ever imagined _this_.

Turning to Aang, eyes as wide as saucers, Katara managed to get out, "How—how did you _do_ this?"

"It was all here before this," Aang reminded her, color rising to his cheeks. "You're right, though; it must have taken years to construct."

Mouth remaining in an open gape, Katara asked, "And you use _all_ of it? You have _this_ many people?"

Aang chuckled. "Not as many as you'd think. See, a lot of this is just used for training grounds. The rest is for meetings and just, well, hanging out I guess."

Katara nodded, the shock only just beginning to wear off. "I had no idea. Is this where all the patrols leave from?"

Aang shook his head. "There's another room for that, and the doors kept under guard at all times."  
She paused, deflating a bit. "I wish I could go on a patrol," Katara sighed. "It would be nice to get out of here for a bit."

He hesitated. Katara watched him warily, apprehensive of getting too exited for fear of getting let down.

Aang smiled. "Katara, how would you like to go on your very first patrol?"

Katara stared at him, elated. "I'd love it! Thank you so much, Aang!"

He beamed back at her. "Here, I'll introduce you to the members you'll be going with."

Katara followed him as he led her to a group of people slumped in various positions on assorted old chairs and worn couches. "Hey, guys," Aang greeted cheerfully.

Their heads snapped up, eyes immediately going to Aang, then wandering over to rest on Katara. She shifted uncomfortably under their curious gazes, wary and ready to cast judgment as soon as possible.

"Hello," she said nervously after a long and awkward pause. "I'm Katara. I—err—well—Aang—" Katara glanced at him, helpless. To her dismay, he had a thoughtful expression on his face as he listened in on her one-sided conversation, and showed no sign of intervening.

Taking a deep breath, Katara forced herself to meet them in the eye. "I'm supposed to go on my first patrol today."

A girl with her brown hair tied into two messy braids spoke up. "You can come with y patrol," she said, smiling at Katara. Standing up, she reached out her hand, quickly drawing it away when Katara made no move to seize it, more out of habit than conscious thought. Handshakes were formal courtesy from the old days, nothing more—it was dangerous, now, to accept the hand of anyone you didn't know and trust with your life, as it was far to easy attack when the other person was so unsuspecting.

She cleared her throat, studying Katara carefully. "I'm Jin," she said at last. "I'm from the lower ring of Ba Sing Se," Jin added quickly. Katara sucked her breath. Ba Sing Se was located in the center of the city, surrounded by the East, West, North and South Districts. While the four districts were mainly equally repulsive, Ba Sing Se was—even in the lower rings—a whole different world.

So different that Ozai had gone to the troubles of making walls to separate it from the rest of the city.

Katara looked at Jin with a new respect. To escape Ba Sing Se took courage and skill. The inner-city residents were kept ignorant of what went on outside the walls, and if, by chance, they found out, they were either brainwashed by a branch of Ozai's elite research department—the Dai Li—or killed while trying to leave the city.

Yes, Katara decided, Jin must have gone through many hardships to get here.

Returning Jin's friendly, if hesitant, smile, Katara dared to ask, "Who else is here with you, then?"  
"This is Haru," she indicated a brown haired boy and he waved cheerfully, "Suki," an amused redhead sporting a black, rigid armor Katara had never before seen, "Teo," a fair skinned teen in a wheel chair, "and Meng." Jin came last to a young girl with voluminous hair that gave Katara a toothy grin.

Katara smiled and nodded at each of them in turn, privately relieved to be welcomed without hostility.

"So what brings you here, Katara?" Haru asked, leaning back against the sagging armchair.

"My family was attacked by Ozai," Katara replied through the lump in her throat and the tears prickling her eyes. "My father's dead, my brother's probably being held in a torture facility, and I think everyone that helped us oppose Ozai is now dead."

She was a bit surprised, but not offended, when only Teo and Haru had any condolences to offer. Although Katara would have liked to believe otherwise, they had obviously run into stories like hers before, and she had no doubt that some of them came off much unluckier than she did.

"Katara," Aang began abruptly. She turned to him in surprise, having forgotten he was there due to his silence throughout the entire exchange. "I'll be going now," he said after a moments thought. "Just listen to what Jin and the others tell you, and you'll be fine." Aang gave her an affectionate grin, and Katara stomach flopped in a way that was not entirely unpleasant.

She watched him leave, feeling slightly abandoned but still comfortable with her new—Katara realized with a stab of pride that she was now a part of the revolution—comrades.

Although, Katara reflected as they led her outside, back into the world that she had so recently escaped, she wasn't really entirely sure if that was a safe place to be in.

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"Her brothers probably dead, ya know."

Aang glanced up from his tattered paper back book, curled in an old leather chair that he had salvaged from a garbage dump a few months previous. "You don't know that, Toph," he said reproachfully, returning to his book. "Besides," Aang added after a moment of contemplation, "If he is, it's better for Katara to see it herself. In reality, it all depends how long it takes for him to crack—once they've gotten all the information they can out of him, he'll just be…" he sighed heavily. "…Discarded."

"Twinkle Toes." She rolled over from her position on the floor to stare up at him in disdain. "Think about it. You're just going to hurt her in the end."

Aang let out an indignant squawk. "I am not!"

"Yes, you are." Toph looked at him seriously. "Don't give Katara false hope if there's really no chance of rescuing Sokka. You can't let her go on believing the odds are in his favor."

Aang slammed his book shut. "Why don't you get it, Toph?!? I can't do that to her!"

"Why not?" She thrust her face into his, eyes alight with anger. "I don't get it! With every other person, you're completely and totally honest! You _tell_ them if their sister or father or cousin or friend is going to die, and you say it to their face! What it is about her?!?" Toph pulled away from him, a helpless expression on her face, as though some unseen force had caught her friend in its spell and she could do naught about it. "What about Katara is so different from the rest of us?" she asked at last, uncharacteristically dismayed.

Aang looked both hurt and angry at once. "Stay out of my business, Toph! It doesn't concern you! Why don't you get it?"

"No, it's _you_ that doesn't get it," Toph said with an air of finality. "We've got to keep her away from you. I don't know what's gotten you so caught up in her and distracted from the cause, but I do know that it's definitely not a good thing."

"Dammit, _why can't you understand_!" Aang leapt up from the chair, as furious as he'd ever been. "I finally have a true, god to honest _friend_, Toph, and I don't need _you_ going about telling me how to treat her!" The door slammed behind him with an empty bang as he stormed out the room, leaving Toph stunned.

Slowly, she shook her head with a long sigh. She and Aang had few fights of this magnitude, and never before over a girl.

Besides, it had truly stung her, what Aang had said. _I finally have a true, god to honest _friend_, Toph!_ She'd wanted to yell at him, _What about me; what about best friends for life?!?!_ But Toph knew it would have done no good.

Something about Katara entranced him, captivated him like some sort of hypnosis. Rarely had Toph ever spoken that seriously to him, but rarely had she felt the need to. She couldn't tell whether Katara would help Aang or hurt him, but she'd seen the effects, and Toph definitely didn't like them.

_It could just be a crush_, she assured herself. _That thing happens, doesn't it? Boys get obsessed with girls and do this sort of stuff all the time, I bet._

But her comforting thoughts sounded empty, even to herself.

Sighing, Toph rested her head in her hands. Sounding far more helpless than she'd have liked, Toph murmured against her fingers, "What's gotten into you, Twinkle Toes?"

It scared her to think that, after all this contemplation and consideration, she was still at loss for an answer.

* * *

Not trying to degrade Kataang back there, but I do wanna point out that their relationship is a work in progress. And Toph does have a point...'specially if Aang's distracted from 'The Cause.' Next chappie, we'll either get Zuko or Jet--I haven't decided which to introduce first, since I plan on including both of them. I dunno if Zuko will be on the 'good side,' or still a baddie, since he is totally HAWT on either side. ; ) Tell me what you think (please)! 


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting with a Monkey

**Title:** Fade to Black

**Paring(s):** Kataang, Tokka in later chapters, Maiko hints

**Summary: **AU. In a world where Ozai and his minions have taken over, a young girl discovers a group of travelers striving to do the impossible…only to find that it's far more complicated than she thinks.

**A/N: **Not as much Katara/Aang interraction here as last chapter, but I hope you don't mind. It was getting pretty long and I had to cut it off at the end. This chapter had to include Katara's first official patrol as a revolutionary (very imporant), the introduction of a new enemy (also crucial), and Zuko's appearance (now you just know I could have wasted an entire chapter on that, don't you?). Besides that...enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Meeting with a Monkey (Name Zhao)

For Katara, it was very strange being outside again. She'd been cooped up for what seemed like so long that she'd nearly forgotten what the sky looked like—not that it was much to see, just a hazy-grey of smog emitted fumes.

She looked around, blinking, at the section of the city they'd come up in. It looked to be somewhere in West District, an area Katara had never seen before.

Jin snuck a few looks around the deserted alleyway, hand positioned nervously on the gun holster at her hip. "All clear," she whispered, stepping forward and beckoning for Katara, Haru, and Suki to follow.

Katara glanced doubtfully around the desolate street as they strode forth into the filtered sunlight. Somehow, she hadn't imagined anything quite this…normal for an entrance. But, then again, Katara reasoned, it was simply fortunate that they'd been able to find a place this devoid of the normal crowd of druggies and thieves.

In the cracked and dirty street, she somehow felt unprotected without her father or brother accompanying her, as they usually did. _Use to_, Katara corrected herself, not without a pang of bitterness. She bit back sour laughter. _Guess I should get used to going outside alone, huh?_

But Katara wasn't alone. Glancing around, she wondered, _One day, will I think of Jin and Haru and Suki and Teo and Aang and Toph as my family, instead of Sokka and Dad?_ Maybe, Katara decided. She wouldn't forget the connection she shared with her brother and father—and hopefully maintain the former, if Sokka was, indeed, alive—but that didn't mean she couldn't forge _new_ bonds.

"Hey, Katara—" she was disrupted for her musings by Haru's words.

Jerking her head up, Katara stared at the brown haired boy, trying to hide her embarrassment at getting distracted so easily. "Yes?" she asked weakly.

"Hey, Katara," he repeated, an amused smile pulling at the corner of his lip, "Have you ever been to West District before?"

She shook her head fervently, once more glancing around the street and again feeling uneasy without the normal company of her father and brother. "No," Katara said, shifting uncomfortably, "But…why is it so deserted? Did something happen here?"  
Haru gazed at her. "Yeah. No one hangs around this part of the city. Not after what happened last year." He paused. "Have you heard about it?"

"No," Katara admitted, "I haven't. But then again, it wasn't very often that we got news from other districts. Sometimes there were a few government reports, but we never really trusted those."

Suki laughed bitterly. "You were right. Ozai, that bastard—I'd be surprised if he's ever told the truth in his entire life."

Katara glanced at her, alarmed by the hatred in her tone. What had happened to make her so thoroughly set against Ozai? She hesitated. "Did something happen to you, Suki?"  
Her expression darkened. "Yeah. I was captured and placed in one of their holding facilities for nearly a year. I still have nightmares." Suki shuddered. "God, it was pure _hell_. I would hear these horrible, absolutely _tormented _screams when they tortured prisoners for information. If I ever go back there again, I swear I'll—" She seemed to notice Katara's stricken and horrified expression all at once, and paled.

"Katara, your brother's in one of their holding facilities, isn't he?" Suki asked quietly, hands gripping her gun as she glanced around the street—not completely empty, but occupied by a few scrawny citizens here and there, scurrying past like mice fleeing the neighborhood tomcat.

She nodded, suddenly about to burst into tears. What were they doing to Sokka, even as they spoke? Katara struggled to push back the force inside her that threatened to spill out and take over. _I'm going to rescue him_, she thought, surprised by her certainty and determination. _Even if I get killed doing it._

"Good for you," Jin said, approving. It took a moment for Katara to realize that she had spoken out loud.

"Ozai's men," Suki hissed, gripping her gun tightly. Jin and Haru quickly dropped their shoulders and gazed at the ground, emitting a meek and scared aura. Katara was as shocked by their sudden change in attitude as the appearance of Ozai's so-called soldiers. Quickly, she tried to copy their movements, sinking into the shadows and avoiding so much as looking at the bulky men striding on the opposite side of the street.

Horror rose within her as she heard heavy footsteps thud over, then a large hand close around her arm. Katara suppressed the urge to yank it away, but whipped around her head to stare at her captor.

Although the other soldiers had certainly been confident, this man was flat-out arrogant. A permanent smirk stretched across his face, cruel and defined with its many angles.

Through the buzzing bolt of adrenaline shocking through her and begging her to run, Katara heard a soft click as Suki cocked her gun.

"W-what did you want?" she stammered, her nervousness no longer an act.

"I haven't seen you around her," the man commented in said, smiling down at her wickedly. "May I see your permit?"

_Permit? _Katara's heart thudded in her chest. _No one ever said anything about a permit!_

"She's with us," Jin said quickly, stepping forward. "Visiting from…" The Ba Sing Se native hesitated, before finishing decisively, "South District. Her apartment building burnt down, so she's saying with her cousin," she finished, gesturing towards Haru. "We didn't have the time to get a permit, and one of Ozai's soldiers said it would be fine if she stayed with us for a week or so."

He gazed at her suspiciously, his hold on Katara unyielding. "South District? There was a fire in South District recently…" he directed his forceful stare back on Katara. "A group of rebels. They deserved to die. Surely you don't know anything?"

Katara felt anger rise up within her at the insult. She wanted to scream at him for being so cruel as to say such a thing about _anyone_, let alone her own father. However, she also knew that such a thing would only make the situation worse than it already was.

"Some of the other residents held meetings," she forced herself to say. "I assumed that they were just some sort of dinner with friends and family. When the apartment burnt down, they died." Knowing it would be for the best but still detesting herself for saying, Katara added, "I was glad to see them go."

Although he did not look entirely convinced, the man nodded and relinquished hold on her arm. "You should feel that way," he told her. "They are criminals and thieves, and unworthy to live." He turned to walk away. "Be sure not to become involved, or one day the government may go after you as well."

Disgust welled within Katara. _They don't even try to hide that they were responsible for the fire!_ She glared at his back, clenching her fists and swearing that she would one day avenge her father.

Just as he had nearly reached the other soldiers, slouching against the wall across the street, Suki called out, "Wait! What's your name?"

He paused, and, without turning around, answered, "Zhao. Commander Zhao. You would do well to remember that name." Zhao glanced back at them, smirking and reminding Katara of a leering fox. "It could very well be that of your future king."

As he reached the soldiers, they snapped to attention. Katara watched uneasily as the group of men marched away, headed by Zhao. Ozai's army were rumored to have been collected from prisons all over the cities, young men that had been imprisoned for heavy-duty fighting or other skills useful to the army. What they lacked in discipline, they made up with for power and sheer numbers.

It was a wonder how Ozai got so many people to join the army in the first place, now that Katara thought about it. Throughout the city, anyone who so much knew their ruler's name detested him. But, she realized, the army had something you just couldn't achieve on the streets: protection. Although the revolutionaries had been acting up recently, Ozai still had thousands of troops at his disposal.

The only way to make an impact, in reality, was to try and attempt to take down the formidable leader himself.

Katara shuddered at the mere thought. Face Ozai? Even now, simply thinking it seemed ridiculous and impossible. _Will I be with the final team?_ Katara wondered, struck by this new and slightly frightening concept. _Yes_, she decided. _I'll train my butt off; whatever it takes to bring Ozai down._

As she walked back towards HQ, still fresh from her brush with Zhao, Katara's steps became newly energized.

Step.

_Whatever it takes to rescue Sokka._

Step.

_Whatever it takes to save the city._

Step.

_Whatever it takes...to stay by Aang's side._

Just as they reached the hidden entrance to the hideout, a figure seemed to slide out from the shadows. Jin, Suki and Haru immediately assumed fighting stances, while Katara withdrew her gun and pointed it directly at his head, despite her trembling hands.

"Wait."

The man took a step forward, the darkness melting away to reveal a fiery red scar and an unwaveringly set jaw.

"My name is Zuko. I'm Ozai's son…"

Suki let out a snarl; Haru's eyes narrowed; Jin's mouth pressed into a thin line; and Katara started.

"…and I want to help bring my father down."

**

* * *

**

"There's something coming." Toph spoke after a few hours of muteness in response to Aang's mutual silence.

He glanced up at her, still wary of their earlier clash. "What? Another one of your," Aang chewed hatefully on his words before spitting them out, "_premonitions_ on Katara?"

"No. Something else," she said, unshaken.

Aang's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Trouble." Toph returned to picking at her toes, ignoring Aang's unsettled expression.

He looked at her uncertainly. "Toph—about earlier—" Aang swallowed, and seemed to regain his confidence. "I won't apologize for how I feel about Katara." Toph seemed about to object, and he hurried on, "But I _am_ sorry for what I said. I didn't realize until afterwards…" Aang let out a slow breath of air. "I made it seem like we weren't really friends, didn't I?"

Toph examined him for a moment. "Aw, it's alright, Twinkle Toes," she said, breaking out in an affection grin and leaning over to give him a friendly punch in the shoulder. "Just one big softie at heart, aren't ya?"

Aang returned her grin. "Hey, maybe we could go beg the cook for some milkshakes? After all, we practically—hell, we _do_—run this place, and I would say that we've definitely—"

A knock at the door interrupted him. Looking curious but overall unperturbed, Aang called easily, "Come in!"

The door flew open to reveal a furious Suki, a shocked Haru, and Jin in the lead, looking unbiased but troubled. Last of all, Katara came filing through, an odd mix of anger, determination, and fear written across her features.

Upon seeing their expressions, Aang turned to the uneasy man trailing Jin like a shadow, hands cuffed behind his back, and demanded hotly, "What did you do?"

The man raised his bowed head to reveal the scar that stretched across his face. Aang leapt back with an exclamation of shock. His eyes narrowed as he let out an outraged snarl. "_You_."

There was so much hatred and fear written into that one word that Katara stepped back with the impact of it. Who was this man—this Zuko? Ozai's son—that she was fairly certain of—but what else?

What had Zuko done to earn Aang's hatred?

What had Zuko done to transform her friend—or more—into such a monster?

What, what, what, _what_?

Katara glared at him. Already, her loathing threatened to boil over. To see Aang like this…it scared her. And Zuko was the cause of it. How could he have done this to Aang? How?!? How could he have transformed him so?

She sucked in her breath and glared. At last, unable to control her raging emotions any longer, Katara burst out, "What have you done?!?!"

* * *

Hm! Zuko doesn't seem to giving a very good first impression, ne? I hope I didn't make Suki TOO bitter, but remember that she's had a much harder life here (and I haven't seen any Suki episodes in a long, long time). If any minor characters (or major) are acting OOC, please please please tell me so I can fix it. I'm always looking for constructive criticism. Next chapter should be up within a week (and a half)! 


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